Minneapolis, MN
Minneapolis launches $1 million police recruitment campaign
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MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota’s largest city launched a new campaign Wednesday aimed at keeping police officers in its ranks and increasing recruitment.
In 2022, Minneapolis approved $7 million to pay for recruitment efforts to fill police positions and dispatch. Nearly $1 million of that funding is going towards getting the word out.
A new campaign launched Wednesday hopes to kick hiring into high gear.
From the people you call for help to the officers that show up, city leaders say staffing shortages in public safety departments are not sustainable.
“This campaign is really about people’s lives,” said Mayor Jacob Frey.
Police Chief Brian O’Hara says his department is 40% smaller than it was at the start of 2020.
MORE NEWS: Rep. Dean Phillips, Minnesota Democrat, says he is suspending presidential campaign
“We rely more and more on mandatory overtime, on officers working overtime to officers performing multiple,” O’Hara said.
911 Director Joni Hodne says her team needs 10 to 15 more people to answer emergency calls.
“A shortage at 911 can lead to a delayed response, catastrophic results, we cannot miss a call,” Hodne said.
From social media aids to college visits, they believe this new campaign will reach more people.
“We are doing everything possible to get the word out,” Frey stated.
The campaign is aimed at attracting 18 to 44-year-olds in a 300-mile radius of Minneapolis.
O’Hara says there’s reason for hope: They’ve already received 500 leads for potential applicants who are interested, up from 140 this time last year.
“I truly believe Minneapolis will be the greatest law enforcement comeback story in America,” O’Hara said.
The city is also working to streamline applications to get qualified candidates through the door faster.
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Minneapolis, MN
Four local gymnasts headed to Olympic Trials in Minneapolis
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HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — What is the threshold for success for an athlete?
Well, everyone is different.
For some, it’s making the starting lineup on varsity.
For others, it’s securing that college athletic scholarship and playing at the next level, and maybe even getting to the pros.
But for four local trampoline gymnasts, they’re eyeing something bigger….the Olympics.
Paul Bretscher, Cody Gesuelli, Maia Amano, and Trinity Van Natta, all returned from Lima, Peru, after competing at the Pan American Championships for Team USA in Trampoline Gymnastics.
All are returning with a gold medal in hand.
“I actually just came off of a knee injury, so I tore several ligaments in my knee back in April of last year and I had surgery for that. And so this was my first international competition since that injury. So for me, it was all about like, you know, proving to myself that I can still compete on an international stage and um, I think I was able to do that because I ended up getting a personal best score,” said Maia Amano.
These four are members of the USA Gymnastics Senior National Team, so winning gold silver or bronze is nothing new to them.
Right now, they’re already eyeing the next competition, the Olympic Trials in Minneapolis starting on June 27.
“Normally on the equipment, we do 17 and a half hours,” said Paul Bretscher, “We normally go and work workout, doing weightlifting and strength and conditioning, probably 2 to 3 more times in the week.”
“A lot of my training and preparation since Peru going into nationals has been sort of focused on that mental block. I do three days a week in the morning and then every day, Monday through Friday in the evening. So in the mornings, I focus on just working my skills individually,” said Trinity Van Natta.
“I’m trying to get into a better mindset. I think the last Olympic trial, I kind of put too much pressure on myself and I was expecting a greater result. When that didn’t happen, you know, that hurt my feelings quite a bit. But, you know, luckily we had Peru the week after the last Olympic trials, and so it was a good rebound for me,” said Cody Geuselli.
For these athletes, qualifying for the 2024 Olympics is the mountaintop.
“That’s been my goal since I was probably 12 years old,” said Amano.
“I’ve been competing with the goal of going to the Olympics for probably my whole trampoline career,” said Bretscher.
“It’d be a culmination of all the sacrifices that I made for this sport. You know, I’ve moved twice already around the country for it to just, you know, train and try to compete at my best. So it would just be the icing on the cake,” added Gesuelli.
Minneapolis, MN
Woman gravely injured in shooting near Minneapolis homeless encampment
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Minneapolis, MN
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